Electric switch



Jan. 12 1926.

C. F. SCHWENNKER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 5. 1924 a m :m/M fir tc m V t ns WA IE 5 Z Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

1,569,683 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. SCHWENNKER, F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWTGH.

Application filed January a, 192 SeriaI' an; $84,669.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHAnLEs F. SCHW'ENN- KER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches and particularly to electric switches of the fluid break type which are adapted to control high potential circuits. L 7

An object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of the operating mechanism for the switch arranged so that the pressure of the gas generated by the are formed upon opening the switch serves to accelerate the openin movement.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying specification and drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the single figure of the drawin I have shown a cross section of a fluid break switch of the truck type and operating mechanism therefor in accordance with my'invention. In this figure 'the receptacle for the switch contacts comprises a casing 1 and a tank 2 containing a suitable insulating liquid, the tank being secured to the casing by bolts 3 n the usual and well known manner. A pair of insulator bushings 4 each having a conductor 5 extending therethrough is shown secured to thecasing 1 by means of a plate 6 and bolts 7. A suitable oil separating and pressure relieving device may be connected to the opening 8 in the casing. To the lower ends-of the insulator bushings 4 are attached the main and auxiliary stationary contacts 9 and 10 respectively. The bridging member 11 carrying the movable contacts 12 and 13 which cooperate respectively with the stationary contacts 9 and 10 is attached to the usual 0 erating rod 14: of insulation such as woo which rod is guided in part by a frame15 also of insulation and in the present instance shown as of wood.-

The upper end of the rod 14 is fastened into a cap 17 and pivoted to this cap by means of the pin 18are the two arms 19 of the bifurcated actuating lever 20. Thislever is fulcrumed at 21 on a pair of links 22 ivoted at 23 to the casing 1 and connected together by a bridge 24. The rod 25 pivoted to the lever 20 extends loosely through the end of each arm 19 has a laterally extending flange 28 having an opening therein adapted to loosely receive the rod 29 having a head 30 on its lower end. The two rods 29 are threaded into a cross bar 32 and abut the top plate 6. The cylindrical bracket 33 supported from the top plate Gcarries the flanged button 34 and a number of felt disks 35 which disks are adjustably compressed by the bar 32 against the button 34;. This part of the mechanism constitutes an adjustable buffer for both the up stroke and the down stroke of the switch and is described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 67,137, filed November 5, 1925, and assigned to the same a'ssignee as the present invention.

9n the side adjacent the fulcrum point of the lever 20 the casing lis formed with the cylindrical opening 38 in which slides the piston 39. Piston 39 is pivotally connectedat its inner side to the lever 20 by means 'of link 40 and is pivotally connected at its outer side to the operating lever ll by means of link 42. Any suitable means may be employed for operating the lever 41 as for example a solenoid or a centrifugal device, which if desired may be connected .to the lever by link 43. Lever 41' is shown provided with a socket portion 44: adapted to receive a stick or rod for manual operation. Inasmuch as the toggle comprising the lever ll and the link 42 is shown adapted to take an underset position when the switch is closed, suitable means obviously would be provided for maintaining the toggle in this position subject to being tripped out manually or automatically.

The operation of the switchwill. be readily apparent from the fore oing description. To close the switch from t e position shown, t e lever ll is rocked by the operating means, not shown, to the dotted line position whence movement is communicated through the piston 39 and lever 20 to raise the movable contacts into engagement with the stationary contacts. In this movement the ends 19 of lever 20 are caused to move in a straight line by the links 27 and slide tn the rods Q9.- This movement is cushioned by the pin 18 in the cap 17 on the rod 14 striking against the flanged button 34 which is resiliently retained by the ;-felt" disks 35 which are threaded the-rods 29- which ab ut the top plate 6. Y VVhe n the'switch istripped' open, thetripping means not being shown,

the parts begin movement in the opposite directionunder; the influence of gravity and the accelerating spring-26. As soon as'an bar32. I, I

By the aboveconstruction it will be .seen

are is drawn between the" contacts the gas pressure, produced thereby actingupon :the

the full open position illustrated, further movement .is checked and cushioned by the:

same felt disks since the ends 19 of the lever 20 strike the heads 30 on rods 29 which as stated above are threaded into the cross.

that I have provided a fluid break switch of the down break type in which the op-' of the'receptacle containing the switch contacts. I have provided the receptacle with but a single opening through which theo erating mechanism may be 'afiecte'd by t e internalgas pressure and have connected such t the external operatingmechanism to the movable contacts by means of a piston in .that o ening, the internal mechanism being.

e piston is moved outwardly at t when \thecontacts are separated so that pressure within the receptacle tends to accelei'ate the opening movement of the switch. Since the operating rod 14 does not pass through the top of the casing the difliculty of maintaining a'gas tight jointv between the rod, which is usually made of wo0d,"and the I comprises a 00 j as Vhile my arrangement is such that the in-- casin mechanism greatly crating mechanism isada ted -'to be used not only in switches'wherein t e insulating fluid as forming liquid, but is also applicable w ere the contacts are arranged to. open any .fiuid having arc extin ishing properties, -whether'normally in iquid or gaseous form. Where an arc extin uish-T ing gas 18 118811 which 15 not dissociated y any arc whichma'y be formed at the -switch contacts, the increase in -;pre'ssure in the tank will be due merely to the expansion ofthc due to. its increase. iii temperature.

crease in pressure due. to the arc .does not tendto reclose the switch but actually accelerates the opening thereof, it is apparent that the arrangement is advantageous even,

set forth in the appended claims.

piston 39 serves to assist and accelerate the opening movement. When the parts reach:

meciianism extend ng from a is eliminated, the effective 'area of thepiston 39 may be materially reduced and,

.for transmittin a character that the pressure in the tank is not'very'greatly increased when the switch is opened, since the stuffing box feature comment of my invention, 1 do not wish to .be limit'e'd'to the particular form shown and described as it will be apparent that many modifications therein, may be made without departing from the scope of my'invention as What I claim as new and desire to secure by. Letters Patent of the'United States is:

. 1. 111 9. fluid break switch, a receptacle comprising a cover and having an opening therein and adapted to contain flllld. immersed switch contacts, a piston mounted in said "opening and contact operating mechamon' to switches customarily used is eliminated-T ,While' have described. only one embodi- I nism connected with opposite sidesof said v piston. 7 p

2. An electric switch comprising a receptacle having a cover, an msulating'fluid therein relatively. movable contacts imerating rod does not extend through the wall mersed in said fluid and contact operating oint without to a point within said receptac 0, said mechanism including a piston mounted in a wall of said receptacle'and through which the contact operating movement istransmitted. 3. An electric switch comprising a recep: tacle having a cover and having an opening in the side thereof, an insulating fluid in said receptacle, a' stationary and a movable contact in said fluid, a [piston in said opening, an'operating mem er operatively connectedto the outerside of said piston and a contact actuating member operativ'ely connectedv to the inner side of said piston.

4, An electric switch comprising a closed receptacle having an opening in a side wall thereof an insulatingfluid therein, stationary. an movable contacts immersed insaid fluid, an operating member, and mechanism ating member t rough the opening in the movement from said oper-.

side wall of said receptacle to said movable contact-,sa'id mechanism including means responsive to ressure within sai receptacle for accelerating the circuit opening movement of said movable contact; 5. An electric switch comprising a recep tacle having an opening therem, an insulating fluid in said receptacle, a stationary contact in said insulating fluid, a contact adapted to be moved downwardly from said stationar contact, an operatin member, means exten ing'thr'ough the o en ng in said receptacle for connecting sai operating member with said movable contact, said means including a member slidably mounted in. said opening and arranged to moveoutwardly of said receptacle as said contacts separate.

6. An electric switch comprising a receptacle, a cover therefor, an insulatin fluid therein, relatlvely movable contacts in said fluid and mechanism for separating said contacts, 'said receptacle having an openin in a side wall thereof through which sai mechanism extends, a portion of said mechanism comprising a' 1ston movable in said opening apd adapte to be afl'ected by pressure within said receptacle to accelerate the opening movement of said switch.

'7. An electric switch comprising-a casing forming a compression chamber and having a cylindrical opening in a wall thereof, a tank secured thereto, an insulating fluid therein, a pair of stationary switch contacts supported from said casing and immersed in said fluid, a pair of movable contacts mounted to move downwardly from said stationary contacts to disengage the same, an operating member exterior of said casing, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends within said casing and operatively connected with saidmovable contacts, and a piston in said opening operatively connecting said operating member and said lever.

In witness whereof, I have my hand this 4th day of January 1924. CHARLES F.- SCHWENNKER.

hereunto set 

